Police open fire on 'mass procession' in Sylhet, 20 injured
The police have allegedly set barriers to the mass procession brought out by the students, under the platform of Students Against Demonstration, in Sylhet.
When the protesting students attempted to march forward pushing the barriers aside, the policemen dispersed them firing tear gas shells, shotgun bullets, and sound grenades. Some seven people were detained from the spot.
The incident took place in the Akhalia area near the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) around 4:00 pm on Friday.
Until the filing of this report around 5:00 pm, clashes were underway between the two sides. At least 20 people, including students, policemen, journalists, and pedestrians, reportedly suffered injuries during the clashes.
The police claimed that the protesters took position in the Akhalia area and blocked the Sylhet-Sunamganj highway. The cops requested them repeatedly to leave the place, but the students replied by hurling brick-chips at one stage.
The police fired shotgun bullets, tear gas shells, and sound grenades to bring the situation under control.
According to the protesting students, they thronged the SUST's main gate area around 3:30 pm, to hold a mass procession announced by the Students Against Demonstration. In the face of police barriers, they could not survive there and moved to the Mount Adora Hospital area.
As they attempted to hold a peaceful programme there, the police fired tear gas shells, shotgun bullets, and sound grenades at them.
Apart from students, at least three policemen were injured during the clashes, while Mithu Das Joy, the Sylhet correspondent of Daily Kalbela, sustained bullet wounds, according to witnesses.
Azbahar Ali Sheikh, deputy commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police, said the police asked the students to move away when they blocked the highway.
At one stage, they hurled brick-chips at the police, and the latter fired tear gas shells, shotgun bullets, and sound grenades to bring the situation under control, he said, adding they also detained at least seven people during the clashes.